Down-and-feather pillows gained the toehold as the most luxurious and coveted filling yonks ago. However, other materials churned out by modern technology today such as memory foam equally render comfort, and moldable properties in airplane seats.

Memory Foam vs. Down Pillow

Thus, allowing a crack of the whip from the competition. To avoid sleeping discomfort, the upshot of memory foam vs. down pillow on neck support, malleability, comfort and breathability has an inextricable link.

Down pillows offer a buttery-slick, as comfortable as an old shoe to cradle your head on a cloud-like floating with efficient natural insulation. Memory foam super-supportive and manipulability align your head and neck in a natural curvature putting it on the map.

Memory Foam vs. Down Pillow Comparison | Factors to Consider

1. Soft vs. Firm Support

Down-filled feathers offer luxurious softness and occasionally stash a thin layer of feathers for firmness. The pillow feels like forty winks on a cloud.

Memory foam pillows though soft render firm support due to the material’s flexibility to conform to your body.

Down and feather mixes offer firmer support but still ranks below foam’s superior firmness.

Memory foam pillows do not flatten like a pancake in the middle of your sleep or require daily fluff up.

You have to re-fluff down pillows repeatedly to mold it to the shape of your neck and head for comfortable sleep and rein in aches or spinal stiffness.

2. Memory-Foam Pillows Properties

Though memory foam feels firmer than down, the sleeper’s head and neck heat up the material. It configures until your curvature creates equilibrium.

You offset this impact by sifting out density and amount of foam prefilled.

Regular, air cool, and gel provide various types of memory foam with varying properties such as anti-microbial, hypoallergenic and supportive lining. Some have extremely low volatile organic compounds.

Memory foam lacks the natural insulation properties of down. Some pillows may get more heat-sensitive with less conformity to body conditions.

Memory foam pillows offer a broad variety of shapes to foster maximum neck and back support.

3. Down’s Natural Properties

Down-fed pillows render opulent velvetiness-as soft as a baby’s backside and render optimum neck support.

Down pillows give the comfort ideal for tummy snoozers. Their flexibility keeps the head of a stomach sleeper aligned lowly than a firmer foam pillow, which exerts less pressure on the spine or neck.

Down-filled pillows also retain heat with natural insulation without added bulkiness. They bring coveted durability while you only need to fluff and keep them all-spruced-up.

As a natural fill down offers a green solution rather than petroleum memory foam as it spews ozone-harmful byproducts.

Natural down lacks chemical odor from volatile organic compounds.

4. Down vs. Memory Foam Head-to-Head

  1. Down only outlives memory foam slightly, it can only last up to 5 years after which it will flex out shape incurably.
  2. Memory foam has more cost-efficient synthesis than natural hand-plucked or sparse geese and ducks down.
  3. For softness, down is king but memory foam reigns supreme for neck pain relief.
  4. Memory foam firmness makes it more supportive.
  5. Down has superior manipulability and super-lightweight than foam.

5. Memory foam contains fewer allergies than down.

  1. Down costs the earth as it’s not a dime a dozen like memory foam-molting geese or eiderdown vs. mass production with modern technology.
  2. Down rules the roost as it’s more consistent than processed materials like memory foam.

6. Memory Foam’s Ideal Sleeper’s Posture

Shredded memory foam pillows for side sleepers support your spine in a natural curvature and occupy the space sandwiching your mattress, neck, and head.

Pillow’s memory foam renders a cushiony respite for your neck or head in a neutral position.

Some pillows give users a super-plush and ultra-gentle feel to curl up with a 5-star resort quality piece.

Shredded memory foam pillows instantly conform to different sleeping postures making them ideal for all snoozers.

Advanced memory foams move with your tosses while you can fluff up and squish down the pillow to your preferred height.

You can get orthopedic memory foam with medium-thickness ideal for back sleepers.

7. Down-Filled Pillows’ Ideal Sleepers’ Posture

Soft down-filled pillows cradle your head and neck at a neutrally restful angle for the most ergonomic sleep posture.

Fluffy down-filled pillows render ample comfort as it allows your head to settle into the pillow.

Feather and down-mixes possess improved support, carving out a core to shore up the sleeper’s head in a natural spinal alignment which in turn diminishes pressure points along the head and neck.

Back sleepers most ideal down pillow has a medium or soft conforming support while allowing the head to lay flat without slanting at an angle.

Soft support down-filled pillows dovetail with stomach sleeping as they let your head to sink down smoothly and diminish strain along the spine.

8. Down vs. Memory Foam PROs & CONs

Down Pillow PROs & CONs

  • Down pillows offer a soft, cloudlike resting surface and blend with feathers for bulk and support
  • Lightweight and does not exert weight on your body and feels lighter than air
  • Cool and airy
  • Moldable to your desired shape
  • Long-lasting
  • Quiet
  • Down feathers have quills that may poke through outer shell causing discomfort
  • Lacks neck support and adjustable height due to compressed fills (sizable fills cost a king’s ransom)
  • Requires frequent fluffing and shaking to retain shape
  • Not ideal for allergy sufferers unless hypoallergenic or rigidly sterilized to flush out allergen impurities with excellent turbidity level and oxygen number rating

Memory Foam-PROs & CONs

  • Offers maximum neck and head support to minimize spinal aches
  • Medium-firm and extra-dense but soft without lumps
  • Cooler sleeping experience as it does not trap and retain heat
  • Will suck up body heat to conform itself and snugly reconfigure to a sleeper’s head and neck
  • Quiet snoozing surface
  • Formidable durability
  • Memory foam technology achieves multi-positional support for all sleepers
  • Only for side or back sleepers due to optimum neck and spinal support
  • Not easy to mold and reshape volume
  • Can initially produce an odor
  • Warm but lacks natural insulation and breathability
  • Relatively pricey

Final Verdict

In the long-lasting memory foam vs down pillow showdown, the two will always cut a fine figure. But the arms race has lately gained more steam as advanced technologies come down the pike for synthetics. Wise sleepers will mull over health impacts and sleep comfort of using any material.

Down alternatives with the hotel-plush softness and comfort of a baby’s bottom eschew allergens for those with respiratory problems. Down and feather mixes shore up your neck more robustly though they tend to flatten if not re-fluffed regularly.

Standard memory foam pillows make easy-pickings for budget-conscious buyers. But not as soft or fluffy as down, while they may develop lumps and flatten down the road.


Bed down with a feather pillow once, and you’ll grope in the dark for the gentle cradle if it degrades due to improper care. Although most manufacturers frown upon washing fluffy bedding items like feathers or down, the seminal Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook does not admonish gentle-cycle machine wash or hand-washing.

How To Wash Feather Pillows

Our detailed how to clean feather pillows Martha Stewart guidelines resuscitate your beddings for a shipshape, neat-as-a-new-pin look.

Washing pillows at least two times each year will deliver the deadly blow to mold, microbial invaders, and odors. But the task begins with perusing the manufacturer’s care tag; skipping could spell doom for a timeless investment.

Things To Consider | How To Wash Feather Pillows Martha Stewart

1. Stewartian Pillow-Washing

It’s best to utilize a front-loading unit as pillows remain buoyant and dry with spots in top-loading washers. Pull out the case and shell to examine the surface for holes that could spew feathers.

Martha proffers dipping a pair of pillows in one fell swoop to strike a balance in the load.

Dissolve a small amount of all-natural liquid detergent in the warm water before immersing your pillows.

Tweak the washer on the delicate or gentle cycle and let the rinse cycle run twice to flush out the detergent thoroughly.

You can also hand-wash in your tub with mild, low-sudsing soap. You can squelch water but never wring to avoid shattering delicate feathers and obliterate natural properties.

2. Drying Pillows As A Bone

  1. Feathers can endure the dryer in the air cycle if you want to dehumidify-as dry as dust. You can also tumble dry on low heat together with several pristine, dry towels for uptake of excess moisture.
  2. To keep feathers fluffy and evenly dispersed, throw in a few tennis balls enveloped in unsoiled cotton socks. The white socks deter dye in the tennis ball from infiltrating into your pillow.
  3. To inhibit overheating, stay on the lookout and take a glance every 30 minutes and remove them once dry.
  4. High heat results in clumping and denaturing of delicate feather structures like roasted proteins.

3. Ounces of Prevention

Feather pillows need a zip-on protective cover or a pillowcase to minimize the number of times you need to wash them.

Covers shield against dust, moisture, perspiration and natural oils while you can clean them weekly.

Tightly woven cambric creates a barrier weave that inhibits the entry of dust mites, microbial invaders and allergen impurities-causative agents of asthma, rhinitis or eczema.

You can drape your pillow to render both a functional and decorative touch as you can blend in with bed linen ensemble with a variety of colors.

A breathable, buttery-soft, moisture-repellent and noiseless pillow-case fabric helps cradle your head cozily while inhibiting the invasion of fungal spores, perspiration, stains, dust, and allergens.

4. Frequent Upkeep

Fluffing and airing out pillows every day helps retain the natural resilience of the feathers for a sumptuous look.

A daily re-fluffing also deters dust from stockpiling and will re-appropriate the filling uniformly.

Shake or smack the pillow while grabbing one edge of its body to help re-appropriate the mixture and inspect for lumpy portions. Push the ends in-and-out to reshape for an improved look and comfy cradle.

Consider bathing it in sun rays to evaporate excess moisture trapped and regain its original fluffiness.

You can also hit the pillows on the sides with your fists or whack in on the bed a couple of times for even distribution.

5. DIY Cleaning To Resuscitate Yellowed Feather Pillows

Natural oils and foreign elements secreted by your body creep into your pillow making it the notorious agent of yellowing and discoloring pillows. You can take the plunge for a spick and span spruce up that restores their white glory.

  1. Tool up with laundry detergent, all-natural bleaching agent and cross-check the care tag to ensure its machine-washable.
  2. Pull out the pillow cover and soak your pillow in hot water to dissolve stubborn stains with military precision.
  3. Add a cupful of laundry soap and half a cup of all-natural product directly into the unit or dispensing compartment for front-loading washers.
  4. Follow Martha Stewart’s guidelines on machine-and-hand-washing then drying out thoroughly.

6. Replace Your Pillows After 10 Years +

Our top-brass expert Martha Stewart touts the high-grade longevity fill. When its barren, flattened as a board, it’s as crooked as a dog’s hind leg. She says you have to replace as re-fluffing will not do the trick.

  1. Keep your pillow on a flattened surface. Inspect for lumps, bumps, and dents, the symptoms of a dead pillow. If you experience back, neck and spinal ache, you need a more supportive headrest.
  2. After feathers have continuously shattered and the fill flattens out due to moisture, perspiration and body oils, they can never regain their original volume. If you detect mildew, mold or fungal odor, replace it. Try to fold your pillow at the center and observe if it flexes out of shape.

7. Benefits of Martha Stewart’s Pillow Washing Philosophy

Thorough cleaning will safely, uniformly and entirely restore the yellowed, begrimed and stained pillow shell to its neat-as-a-new-pin and pristine white without damaging the resilience of natural fill.

Washing once in a blue moon according to Martha will flush out sweat, saliva, body secretions, and the army of microbial organisms, oils, lotions, dust mites and external impurities. It denatures biological contaminants, dead dust mites, and their fecal or decaying matter.

Washing helps foster the longevity and natural properties of feathers. DIY cleaning your feather pillows adds chunks of time to their natural life.

Making yellowed pillows shipshape by whitening salvages your bedding and saves you quite some bucks.

8. Martha Stewart Pillow Washing Tips

  • Avoid laundry and tub washing soaps with surfactants as they eat away natural oils that equip down with the unique ability to fluff up.
  • Use tennis balls or sneakers to speed up drying enveloped with white socks to prevent the spillover of yellow dye into the outer shell.
  • Use a protective cover to minimize contamination by protein allergens, dust mites, dead skin cells, dust mite fecal materials and other impurities.
  • Use only the low-heat settings to avoid ravaging delicate feathers or denaturing quills which renders them useless.
  • Dry it to kiln-dry; this prevents the explosion of mold, mildew or emission of odors. Damp pillows end up in your trash bin after developing clumps or flattening partially.

Final Verdict

Our in-depth how to wash feather pillows Martha Stewart will keep your bedding in apple-pie order half-year round. The first step depends on the manufacturer’s care tag, deviating from instructions will expose linen to wear and tear, corrosion of starch composing the cambric and more doom.

Hand-wash or machine-wash with warm water to keep the outer shell spotlessly clean and get rid of living dust mites, deactivate the protein allergens shed by microbes, perspiration, viral pathogens and foreign particles.

It must dry as dust to inhibit mold or mildew havens. Martha Stewart, undisputed queen, and maven of housekeeping always hit the nail on the head in boosting your bedding’s longevity, cozy cuddling and aesthetic touch.


Most pillows go through machine-washing unharmed, even where a tag strictly warns against it. But drying feather pillows involves a critical phase as lurking dampness will reintroduce mildew, bacteria or dust mites, your mortal bedding enemies.

How To Dry Feather Pillows

Natural approaches such as how to dry feather pillows without a dryer keep harmful chemicals or manual-intensive methods at bay. Air-drying bathes your pillow in sun-rays, which act as a natural disinfectant. The sun helps spruce up, sterilize and fluff up feather fill.

The sun’s heat punches through feathers in the core and everywhere to wipe out microbial guilds. It’s almost insuperable to dry out feather-filled pillows in the low-heat settings making them prone to mold growth.

Things To Consider | How To Dry Feather Pillows Without A Dryer:

1. Sun or Air-Drying Feather Pillows

Lay the damp item on your clothesline on a breezy cool-dry day to evaporate all traces of moisture.

Unlike a comforter, pillows have a better surface area to volume ratio-they take a couple of hours to dry as a bone on a warm, breezy day.

You can also lay it flat on a flat surface in open sunlight but stay on the lookout for lumps or cold spots by squeezing bunched up corners for even distribution of fill.

Fluff it gently after a high volume of water escapes and turn after every hour or two. The heat will fade away any slight moisture while the sun freshens and acts as a natural bleaching agent leaving a natural, odorless smell.

2. How To Remove Mildew Scent

Pillows locked away in a watertight, non-air-permeable material such as plastic, or kept in a humid, non-lit ambiance develop a musty scent with time. The odor points out the existence of moisture or mold.

A thorough airing resuscitates freshness to help you drift off to slumber without discomfort. Moisture naturally infiltrates filling, airing them out helps dehumidify and keep them as fresh as a daisy notwithstanding the room’s humidity level.

  1. Air pillows out on a humid-free day with some sunshine and clip onto a clothesline or shore them up against a surface for efficient airflow both sides.
  2. A drying rack on top of a picnic table also permits air to penetrate the underside of the pillows.
  3. Keep the pillows outside during the day for as long as possible, tossing them hourly.

3. How To Keep Feather Pillows Lumps-Proof

Hardened lumps rub like a ton of bricks softened with a delicate layer of cushioning, resulting in sleepless nights. You can whip up your pillow back into a supportive, comfortable shape with a modicum daily chore and extra maintenance.

  1. Fluff up the pillow daily by pressing the sides lightly from all edges, directing fill towards the core and repeat the process a few times.
  2. Set down feather-filled pillows outdoors on a non-humid, sunny day to perk them up and freshen by evaporating trapped moisture. Flip the pillows intermittently placed on a surface like a baking rack for ventilation on both sides.

4. Massage Those Lumps

Feather fillings remain prone to lumping out due to their lightweight composition that collapses and bunches up under pressure, moisture or perspiration.

Kneading the lumps will gently fluff up the pillow, creating extra air pockets that speed up drying. Minimal moisture results in fewer clumps. Massaging with your fingers not only eliminates lumps but also restores original shape.

  1. Squeeze the filling between the palms of your hands to detect clumps, massage clumps sandwiched between your fingers. Massage the outer shell lightly until the bunch melts away.
  2. Fluff the pillow by pressing the side together after breaking up individual lumps for the sumptuous cradle.

5. Capitalize On Sunshine For Pillow Laundry

With the sun out and warming up, solar drying your pillow infuses a divine smell while it provides a natural bleaching agent against organic stains like blood or bodily secretions.

Sun-dried pillows smell much freshened than tumble-dried items due to the lack of laundry chemicals.

Wrinkle-free drying tapping into the sun maintains the resilience of natural feathers.

Sun rays disinfect and whiten pillows with UV light that exterminates biological contaminants and creates an inhabitable, non-humid environment.

It feels gentle like a velvet glove as there’s no flipping and tumbling in a machine, which breeds wear and strain on layers while high heat denatures the outer shell.

6. Downsides of Electric Dryers

  1. Electric-drying exposes delicate feathers to degrading heat that may denature quills or melt away natural oils, which interferes with its ability to restore original volume or loft.
  2. It increases your electricity bill while these machines churn out tons of CO2 annually.
  3. Indoor drying injects tones water that fritters away from pillows but condenses on windows making your indoors damp.
  4. Dryers shrink or damage pillows and pelt ravages that feathers may not withstand for proper functioning.
  5. Air dry whenever the opportunity comes your way as it cuts back your energy bill while it preserves the natural resilience of feathers. It minimizes carbon emissions, hugs our planet with a better future.

7. When Can You Air-Dry & Where?

You do not need direct sunlight to dry out pillows as they will evaporate moisture on a cold, non-damp day.

On dry wintry weather, humidity tends to nose-dive at midday. Sprawl out pillows before noon after mist and dew peter out and return them indoors before evening dampness reappears.

Frigid winter temperatures may tie your hands, but you can still merge air-drying and tumble-drying to slash off a soaring energy bill.

Ventilate your house efficiently if you dry out items indoors, a dehumidifier will wick away tons of moisture.

8. Feather Pillows’ Drying Tips

  • Electric drying takes the driver’s seat as the highest energy guzzler; it can send energy bills straight to the roof.
  • If you cannot do without a tumble dryer, check the EnergyStar tag for a more efficient unit that saves cash and conserve our tenuous planet.
  • Chemical laundry fresheners for dryer sheets or fabric softeners pose a health risk for immune-suppressed sleepers due to perfumes or dyes in soaps or dryer products.
  • Limit exposure to UV light to avoid fading of colored items, you can substitute indirect sunlight with a shaded area.
  • Do not wring pillows before basking them in the sun as you will shatter fragile feathers and quills.

Final Verdict

Indoor or outdoor air-drying provides all-natural ways on how to dry feather pillows without a dryer. Feather pillows remain vulnerable to distortion and shrinkage while frequent washing eats away essential oils that give them unique natural breathability, fluffing, and thermal efficiency.

Airing them out restores a fresh smell while the sun kicks microbial invaders in the guts and bleaches mild stains like perspiration or blood stains. Even those who use the dryer resort to the sun if the pillows remain musty and damp.

Though it gobbles up chunks of time to air dry outdoors, it’s worth the wait as your energy bill does not soar and you eliminate carbon emissions. It’s shrink-and-fade-free, anti-bacterial, pocket-and-eco friendly- something alien to most dryers.


Resuscitate begrimed items by equipping yourself with a good command of how to clean old feather pillows. Some antiquated feather pillows still possess the buttery-soft, fluffy headrest to curl up with for a cozy and dead-to-the-world slumber.

How To Clean Old Feather Pillows

Natural filling force you to dig deeper into your pocket to get your fingers on super-plush, breathable and comfortable support. Old feather pillows contain a musty scent or become soiled with typical usage.

Dollar for dollar, giving the kiss of life with a procedure and products that purge all those decades of grime outweighs a brand new synthetic piece. You can cut through grease or grime by tooling up with a disinfectant, rust remover, detergent, machine washer and dryer for a germ-free spruce up.

Things To Consider | How To Clean Old Feather Pillows

1. Inspect Pillows from Stem-to-Stern

Before taking the first step, inspect the state of the outer shell and fillings inside for lumps or spent fluffiness. You have three options, viz. spruce them up, replenish fillings or replace everything.

If the ticking cover has a tightly woven seam, but feathers poke through, renew the casing or stitch openings before you wash them.

Pre-fill patched pillows with feathers from other down/feather sources like old comforters. Some folks improvise this with a dense foam core at the center of the feather pillow.

For yellowed and trampled pillows whose filling has degraded into an amorphous yucky mess, you’ll have to reconstruct everything, new cambric cover and feathers/down.

2. Washing Feather and Ticking Simultaneously

If you have feathers and ticking in good shape with no yellow or red tarnishes, spruce up everything together.

  1. Wash in machine or hand-wash in warm but not hot suds for 15 to 20 minutes. Add all-natural soap and boost with a disinfectant while observing product directions.
  2. When using an automatic unit, wash at least two pillows to balance the load. Set it on the delicate or gentle cycle. A full wash-cycle can smash the quills or irreversibly mat the fillings.
  3. For hand-washing, rinse at least thrice in pristine warm water. Spin-off liquid or squelch out as much water as you can but do not wring.

3. Automatic Dryer At Moderate Heat Settings

Put the pillows in a dryer and adjust the settings on the moderate or low heat settings.

Add two tennis balls or several bath towels with your bedding to speed up moisture evaporation and fluff up feathers as they dry out.

Operate the dryer two to three times, or until your pillows become as dry as dust.

Pull out the pillows in between cycles and fluff them with your hands for even distribution of filling within the shell.

You can also dry the padding in a warm room using a drying rack equipped with a fan or dangle on a clothesline clipping them at two ends. Shake and flip cushioning to fluff filling and speed up the drying process.

4. Washing Feathers & Ticking Separately

If ticking lacks the purity of driven snow, blemished with red and yellow mud, clean the outer shell and feathers separately.

  1. Use a lightweight bag with tightly woven fabric with space two to three times the size of the ticking.
  2. Open one side of the ticking and pin the unclosed edges of the shell and the bag jointly.
  3. Empty contents of the ticking into the pack by shaking gently. Stitch a seam in the pouch to lock it.
  4. Wash and dehumidify the bagful of feathers, adhering to manufacturer directions.
  5. Clean the ticking with a disinfectant in the initial wash and follow product instructions. Re-wash until stains whiten. Stubborn red or yellow stains require bleaching or treatment with a rust remover.
  6. 5. Handling Unclean Feather Pillows

    The filling may contain harmful bacteria and toxins which may endure regular laundering with ordinary soaps. A spick and span cleaning combined with sterilization using a disinfectant kills microbial invaders.

    Wear rubber gloves and protective gear when handling infected pillows such as flood-soiled bedding.

    Do not dry ticking with a dryer before edging out all stains.

    Before emptying clean feathers into the ticking, iron and starch it for a smooth slide.

    Some pillows may have soaked in water or become contaminated with intoxicating muck that makes it impossible to purge all unpleasant odors.

    Desist from wringing or twisting as you will end up crushing delicate quills and weaken their natural resilience.

    6. Pillow Renovation Companies

    1. You can dispatch pillows to a commercial renovating provider if you cannot DIY. The cost of a new casing for feathers and cleaning falls below the value of replacement.
    2. They will keep your feather fillings separately from other customers’ and render a bespoke cleanup such as sterilization.
    3. Specialized equipment allows renovators to restore and rejuvenate feather pillows.
    4. Multi-phased sterilization begins by bursting open the pillow ticking and emptying contents into a compartment. In these chambers, sterilization with ozone-emitting, UV light exterminates allergens, purifies and deodorizes filling. They also sift out dust emitted by disintegrated feathers.
    5. At the final stage, they blow the sanitized contents into a new ticking.

    7. Benefits of Rejuvenating Old Pillows

    Instead of adding junk to the landfill, large-scale consumers such as green hotels and hospitals recycle pillows.

    A rigorous cleaning and overhauling old filling into a new ticking spawns a neat-as-a-new-pin at a fraction of the price of replacing feather pillows.

    Pillow renovation by specialized experts without water, steam or heat preserves the natural properties of quills and natural oils. Detergents eat away oils causing the filling to flatten out and lead to allergen outbreaks.

    All natural soaps and machine washing make old pillows new and freshened. If filling stills bristles with resilience, insulation, and loft, replace ticking to make it as clean as a new pin.

    8. Other Alternatives to Reuse & Recycle Old Feather Pillows

    1. You can reuse old pillows to create sprawling floor cushions
    2. You can repurpose pillows as pet beds for your furry companion to curl up with an elegant piece of luxury.
    3. You can reuse them as packing filler or for moving materials.
    4. Go DIY to fashion your throw-cushions at zero dollars.
    5. Seal up the front of external doors, or by drafty window sills and keeping your interior cooler or warmer.
    6. Create gardening cushions instead of spending for a new knee cushion.
    7. You can donate them for recycling or textile recycling facilities near you to cut back carbon emissions.

    Final Verdict

    You can go DIY if you have a firm grasp of how to clean old feather pillows or seek the expertise of local bedding’s renovation companies. Once you reinvigorate pillows, remember to add a barrier or cover to protect against stains, dust mites, and micron-sized allergens.

    Armed with a disinfectant, mild soap, and a machine-washer, you can restore the shipshape look of your patched beddings. For stubborn grime or rust, you’ll need a bleaching agent or rust remover.

    Old feather pillows become a diamond in the rough for DIY enthusiasts determined to salvage the pliable, velvet and natural insulation of natural filling.


Everyone says goodnight in their unique sleeping posture: from side snorers to the paunch snoozers, to other angles. Given that some of these positions do not promote neutral spinal alignment, you must tool up with a tailor-made pillow to nip health conditions in the bud.

How To Choose A Down Pillow

Regardless of sleeping angles, your pillow must render optimum neck and spinal support. Consider the level of comfort, filling, breathability, size, firmness and durable construction to zero in a sleep-inducing head-support without biomechanical stress on the spine, neck or head.

A pillow with a higher thread-count offers the longest-lasting comfort and plush feel. Similarly, a fluffier pillow cuddles you with better cushioning and perspiration-free hotel-quality slumber.

Things To Consider | How To Choose A Down Pillow

1. Pillow Sizes & Dimensions

Size and aesthetics make a spitting image of each other. For single-sized or double-sized beds, select a standard version. If you have a King-sized or California super-king, get an equivalent pillow or throw in 4 to 6 standard pads.

  1. In the US, pillows usually come in three dimensions, viz. Standard (20” x30”), queen (20” x30”), and king (20” x36”).
  2. Down and feather-filled or down-alternative pillows offer the three sizes
  3. Other types of memory foam offer nonstandard sizes and shapes like wedges and oval travel pillows
  4. Square or continental pillows (18” x 59”) bedeck your bed linen ensemble

2. What Position Do You Take To Sleep?

Front Sleepers should choose a soft pillow with a lower height for a position and angle that aligns your spine correctly. You will only require a slight amount of padding and backing.
Back sleepers conk off on the back and need a medium support level that slightly raises your head for neutral spine alignment. A medium-firm pillow will cradle your head during sleep with ample support and comfort.
If you sleep on your side, a firmer high-height pillow will cozily fill the gap between your head and shoulder with natural spine alignment and support.
For those who keep readjusting positions, a medium-firm and slightly thick pillow renders overall comfort with head and back support.

3. Natural vs. Synthetic Fillings

Feather and down cut a wide swath in the market. Feathers pack more weight and size than down. They boost bulk and support to your bed pillow. Down contributes a buttery-soft and super-lightweight loft for a luxurious snuggle.
Other natural fillings include silk, wool, and cotton. They possess a firmer finish than down due to the thicker fibers in yarn or minimal loft from cotton or silk. The natural materials hypoallergenic and air permeable properties make easy pickings for allergy suffers.
Synthetic materials include polyester, memory foam and super microfiber. Top-class versions provide customized neck, head and shoulders’ support while they capture air between the fibers to create a luxuriously cozy ambiance to curl up and sleep at a stretch. They offer anti-allergenic, dust mite-repellent and easily washable beddings.

4. Soft vs. Firm

  1. Soft Pillows with less filling and density have a flat-lining that inches you closer to your mattress diminishing the slant of your neck. It allows natural alignment of the chest, shoulders, and neck without arching the lower back for stomach sleepers or those who adjust positions often.
  2. Medium Firmness for back sleepers packs more filling and density giving your head and neck proper support with the sustenance of the alignment and curvature of the upper spine and back.
  3. Firm pillows have the highest filling volume, and density for side sleepers increase pillow depth for expanded shoulder room and an excellent horizontal alignment along the neck and spine. They create an extra layer of support to your head and neck.

5. Does Thread Count Matter?

Pillowcases have a specific thread-count indicated by a “T” or “TC” followed by a number. Thread count suggests the number of threads per square inch of fabric. A higher thread count yields a softer texture, better quality craft, and opulent feel.

You can acquire a standard-sized 20” x26” bed pillow with a minimum of 300TC at budget-conscious prices and superior comfort. If you want hotel-quality luxury, a pillow weaved with 500-to-800 thread-count provide a super-plush option.

Exquisitely designed 1000 thread-count pillows create superior upscale hotel comfort due to the ultra-slick hand, sumptuous weight, and polished appeal. The highest thread-count boasts top brass craftsmanship and exceptional materials.

6. Fluff Factor

Side sleepers require a fluffier pillow to feed into the gap carved up for your shoulders to settle into the mattress while your head aligns with the spine. Back sleepers thirst for a thinner pillow with a slightly added loft in their bottom third for backing. Stomach sleepers dovetail with the most lightweight pillows.

  • A fluffier pillow remains as fresh as a daisy for efficient airflow while a lifeless, deflated and flattened one does not trap air making it a source of discomfort
  • To determine fluffiness, fold the pillow halfway and observe if it restores original volume. If it flexes out of shape, you may have to acquire a new pillow.

7. Comfort and Breathability

Your pillow’s comfort level contributes to health-giving, dead-to-the-world slumber. A comfy pillow strikes a balance between support and comfort shoring up your head, neck, and shoulders optimally. If you flip excessively or wake up with shoulder pain, neck or migraines, it’s a marker to seek a new level of firmness.

While your body needs a cozy, warm sleeping environment, poor air circulation hampers comfortable sleep. You have to cherry-pick a breathable pillow notwithstanding firmness level, to avoid intermittent wakes groping for the more relaxed side. Down and feather pillows offer a natural filling that tends to maintain ideal coolness and warmth throughout your sleep.

8. Manufacturer Care Directions

Cleanable pillows allow machine-and-hand-washing while others call for dry-clean methods. Some pillows only require fluffing to restore their loft or shape. Allergen sufferers tend to wash pillows frequently; machine-washable options endure cleaning ravages.

  • A detachable, washable cover-Adding a machine-washable and dryable cover will keep clean-averse pillows in shipshape for allergen sufferers or kid’s accidents.
  • Washing down and feather pillows resuscitates the filling’s fluffiness as opposed to synthetic materials
  • Solid or shredded foam pillows come out in tatters after machine-washing
  • Non-washable pillows require laundry tumble-dry or dry-clean

Final Verdict

With this earful of information on how to choose a down pillow and your thinking cap, you can strike a balance between comfort and support. If you experience neck, upper spinal and shoulder pain, it’s a marker of an improper pillow.

Due to health problems associated with various pillows, sleepers can get tailor-made pillows fashioned to redress them. For instance, anti-snoring pillows restrain you from calling hogs; sleep-inducing versions baby you to a deep slumber and anti-allergy designs inhibit dust mites.

The pillow world’s extensive collections and tip top brands offer a masterwork cut for every individual sleeper. Top-end materials like goose down act as an efficient heat insulator and coolant, they create a cozy environment.


In down terms, other materials lag behind the curve in the warmth efficiency department making it nature’s most efficient insulator with a superior velvetiness. Buttery-soft pillows make an excellent picking for tummy snoozers while some have a higher fill power to support back sleepers.

How To Buy A Down Pillow

Down pillows retain loft and outlive most synthetic fills. Shoppers out to cherry-pick beddings must glean how to buy a down cushion to prevent the litany of adverse effects like upper spine stiffness, neck pain, and migraine.

Improper neck alignment, abnormal sleeping postures and flattened-as-a-pancake pillows have all your health cards stacked against you making it imperative to probe salient factors. Down pillows offer a consistent loft for a soothing sleeping experience with the attendant features that help ensure extra comfort and cleanliness.

Things To Consider | How To Buy A Down Pillow:

1. Down Blends vs. Pure Feather-Filled

Leaping at a feather product might seem like riding the gravy train, but it’s far much from that as they collapse flat causing discomfort. But their budget-conscious pricing and decorative touch act as a flagpole selling point. However, down and feather blends nip existential problems in the bud.

  1. The market offers a combination of feathers and down for better support, durability, and comfort.
  2. Pure feather pillows tend to flatten out and degrade rapidly, remain flat without the loft of down.
  3. Quills often thread through substandard products, creating discomfort during sleep.
  4. A feather-down blend option with multiple chambers and a tough-as-nails barrier weave prevents spiky, poking quills.

2. Duck vs. Goose Down

When contrasting natural fills from goose and duck down, keep the following points in mind:

  • Goose down spawns super-massive, fluffier and more resilient clusters for optimal loftiness and durability.
  • A detectable scent from duck down emanates from the vast variety of foods they consume. Goose down remains odorless as this species of birds nibble only on grass.
  • Geese clusters stem from more mature, extra-large birds giving their down higher fill power. A higher fill power (750FP+) needs more volume of massive plumages, the wispy spherical shaped down known to possess excellent loft and warmth.
  • Advanced sifting technology for duck down renders products that match the natural insulation of goose down though it’s more massive than geese clusters.

3. Sleeping Postures

  1. Side Sleepers: Due to the limited space from the neck to the bed for side sleeping, firm down pillows hit the nail on the head. A firmer pillow maintains a neutral curvature of the spine and reinforces the head, shoulders, and neck as you catch some Zs.
  2. Stomach Sleepers: A cushiony soft pillow dovetails with tummy snoozers. A soft down pillow will shore up your neck and keep your head delicately cradled.
  3. Mixed Postures: If you readjust sleeping position from front to back to side during sleep, go for a medium-firmness pillow with velvetiness that babies you in multiple postures.
  4. Back Sleepers: Medium-thickness down pillows will cradle the neutral alignment of the upper spine.

4. Meaning of Fill Power in Down Pillows

Pay attention to fill power as it approximates the quality, loft and how long down maintains firmness. A higher fill power translates to better quality, increased loft and firmness retention alongside natural life.

  1. Fill Power does not indicate density, thus 850FP down pillows may not feel firmer than a 650FP down pillow.
  2. 850 Fill Power against 650 Fill Power amounts to improved quality and longevity.
  3. Firmness, viz. Soft, medium, extra-firm, and firm correlate with fill weight, influenced by the volume of down inside a pillow shell. For instance, a standard smooth may contain 12 ounces, medium 14 ounces, and extra firm 19 ounces.

5. Pillow Stitching Designs

A premium-quality design permits down to fill to hit its optimum loft and fluffiness for efficient insulation that embraces warmly as toast.

  1. Double-shell design for down pillows boosts longevity
  2. Plush baffle-box build has internal tripartite-dimensional fabric compartments that promote optimum thickness and comfort by maintaining even appropriation within the boxes. It’s shiftless for no bunching up or clumping.
  3. Triple chamber design offers you the extra support you may require for ultimate comfort and extreme backing to help you drip off to sleep faster, slumbering for long.
  4. Pillow-in-Pillow Design offers a construction with an inner core of feathers for bulk and support across the entire pillow and encapsulated by gentler down for optimal comfort.

6. Pillow Heights & Bodily Biomechanical Effects

The appropriate pillow height depends on your sleeping posture. An overly thin pillow exerts pressure on your shoulders while too thick padding hampers the ability to breathe and causes you to call hogs rattling your bedroom. Typically, a cushion must curve your head from a height of four-to-six inches.

A height of 4-to-6 inches will cradle your head and neck while backing shoulders if you lie on your back.
If you sleep on a pillow whose height rests too low, it strains your neck muscles.
An ideal height keeps your spinal column wholly straightened.
Side sleepers need a considerably an elevated pillow to dovetail with the spine height raised due to shoulder support. Stomach sleepers should inch closer to the mattress with a soft, thin cushioning. For a natural S-curve spinal curvature in back sleepers, the height should place the head slightly upward from your vertebrae.

7. Does Thread Count Influence Anything?

Thread count approximates the horizontal and vertical threads per square inch of fabric. A higher figure renders a softer and plush lining that’s cost-efficient and cozy to curl up with a lap fit for a king.
Thread count in pillows estimates the quality, durability, and feel.
A higher thread count for a tighter barrier weave repels dust mites, dirt and deters the escape of feathers.
Exaggerations on thread count make this metric unreliable but only an ancillary consideration handmaiden to materials and fill power.
You can have a standard pillow with 300TC but ultra-durable, super-smooth and breathable.

8. Sizes & Dimensions

A variety of pillow sizes offer varying comfort with different volumes of fill. Based on the size of your bed, you can pick out a pillow that adds a touch of romance and functionality. The standard, queen or jumbo pillows fall in between small to medium sizes. For precision, some manufacturers offer pillow sizes based on bed sizes.

Bed Size Pillow Size/Dimensions
Standard 20″ x 26″
Super-Standard 20″ x 28″
Queen 20″ x 30″
King 20″ x 36″
Euro 26″ x 26″ ,24″ x 24″, 22″ x 22″, 20″ x 20″, 18″ x 18″, 16″ x 16″
Body Pillow Size 54″ x 20″ & 48″ x 20″

Final Verdict

With this detailed how to buy a down pillow guide, probe helpful features for neutral spinal curvature, head and neck support, as well as luxurious cuddle. Goose or duck down remains second to none when it comes to velvetiness.

Natural insulation, quills-free, supple and puffy gives you vacation-level slumber at the zeniths of luxury. Sleepers should juxtapose firmness levels that match their body posture, height for proper alignment and barrier weave shells to prevent the leakage of feathers.

Down maintains a shipshape, plump and freshened up fluff or loft for top-end coziness and support. Peeling layers beneath pitch-lines allow you to sift out all-vine-and-no-taters products from top-class pieces.


Despite their smaller size relative to your mattress, pillows remain instrumental for you to take forty winks at a stretch. Improper selection will cause discomfort with other adverse ways on how pads affect sleep. Sleep disruption can cause lethargy and slackness, making you shattered throughout the day.

How Pillows Affect Sleep

The unique types of pillows provide support as you bed down to conk off into the best nap experience. Positioning, size, firmness, and sleeper’s usual sleeping posture come into play to shape how pillows affect sleep patterns.

Besides the steady and firm support, an ideal pillow shores up your spine and neck, this alleviates back and spinal aches.

Things To Consider | How Pillows Affect Sleep

1. Not Extra-Large or Too Small

Dozing off to sleep with an overly-large and too stiff pillow will prop your head forward, which constrains airways hampering normal breathing. It also exerts a severe strain on your neck or upper spine, further unleashing sleep discomfort.

The stress leads to disruptive sleep patterns and soreness of the upper spine or throat during the day. An extraordinarily sizeable or small pillow exerts strain on your muscles along the shoulders, neck, and back.

It results in pain, abnormal posture, and negative moods during the day. An exquisite round roll design comes in sizes that snugly hug everyone as the shape conforms evenly on both sides the when you exert pressure by lying on top.

2. Firmness or Softness Level

For stomach or back sleepers, go for a low-density to the medium-thickness pillow. Soft pillows also dovetail with sleepers who keep changing positions. Soft pillows have a considerably flat surface to provide a shorter length between the mattress and your head to reduce the slant of the neck.

Medium pillows pack more filling and density, the neck and head get proper support, with a constant alignment and curvature of the shoulders as well as the upper back. Firm pillows possess the highest filling and density.

Designed for side sleepers, they lengthen the distance to the mattress for a perfect alignment of the spine and neck with an extra layer of support.

3. Pillows According to Bed Sizes

Pillows come in a vast variety of dimensions but vary depending on each manufacturer’s approach.

Standard pillows approximated 20-inch by 26-inch (51 x66 cm) matches with a twin bed. A pair of standard pillows will offer support on queen-sized beds or three on a King-sized one.
Queen pillows measure 20” x30” (51cm x76cm) and have a higher level of firmness
King-sized pillows measure 20” x30” (51 x92 cm), ideal for sleepers thirsty for extra body support. A pair provides a dead-to-the-world sleep on King-sized/California-sized beds.
Body-sized pillow measuring 20” x54” fits into specially shaped body pillowcase that molds and curves up a pad-like curvature. It’s perfect for side sleepers, back pain patients or expectant mothers.

4. Pillow Height & Support

When selecting pillow dimensions, you need to take into account the height. Pillow height affects the biomechanics of your head and neck, sleeping comfort or quality and spinal alignment. Based on your sleep posture, pick out height ideal for head and neck support.

For side sleepers, a relatively high pillow stays in line with your spine’s height raised as you sleep on your shoulder. The best pillows for back sleepers lie intermediately with a medium-firmness and height that aligns your head a bit upward from your spine.

A neutral spinal curvature for back sleepers retains an S curve. With a low-height pillow, your muscles become strained as they struggle to preserve alignment. Extremely high pillows constrict breathing tubes.

5. Pillow Filling & Sleeping Style

Filling made from foam, memory foam, down and feathers, polyester, and latex render the most excellent support and comfort while offsetting any pressure accumulating on your spine, neck and other parts.

  1. Down feather-filled pillows enable you to flake down for the most prolonged duration.
  2. 2. Cotton pillows offer firm neck support but tend to flatten with time.
  3. Wool pillows do not flatten as a board like cotton but last longer with minimal softness. Most have higher firmness levels that stiffen your neck during the day.
  4. Memory foam and poly-foam filled pillows glut in the market makes a budget-conscious picking. The offer improved neck support by attuning and reshaping in line with your weight.

6. Pillow Support & Spine Conditions

Sleepers battling spinal disorders will need proper backing to help the spine relax comfortably. Getting off to sleep gives your body a restorative and preventative way for the natural healing of the spine. Pillows fillings render varying levels of support.

Proper spine alignment creates a natural S curve in a side view; your head rests in mid-line point between your shoulders with your head and neck straight.
Pick a pillow that supports the neck, shoulders, and head to maintain the curvature of the spine in a neutral position.
An exceedingly thin headrest tilts your head backward adding up the spinal curve, causing pain and discomfort. Multiple or overly thick pillows create a forward flexed posture, twisting the chin and exerting strain on your neck.

7. Pillow Sleeping Ergonomics

i) Improved Overall Health

It curbs neck and upper spine problems as it allows you to maintain a natural position. Back-sleeping diminishes acid reflux, eases off low back pain, reduces creases and can promote perky breasts.

ii) Inhibits Wrinkles

Side and stomach sleepers exert high pressure on your face, neck or chest causing crush lines and wrinkles.

iii) Moldable Shape 

Regardless of sleeping positions, an excellent pillow should carve in the contours beneath your head and neck. Relative to your physique and sleep posture, the pad should mold beneath your head and offer firm neck support.

8. Common Indicators of the Wrong Pillows

Neck pain and migraine mainly stem from vertebrae stiffness and biomechanical stress caused by inappropriate pillows, mattresses, and sleep postures.

A medium-firmness pad has a thicker feel to align your head with the vertebrae like a horizontal line. Baby-like, dead-the-world slumber depends on neutral spinal alignment to foster relaxed muscles and efficient circulation.

Readjusting your sleep posture throughout the night– It stems from a slew of causes such as firmness of the pillow, incredibly soft surfaces less supportive to your head and excessive thickness that leads to spinal misalignment.

Neck pain during the day-Waking up with neck pain stems from using the wrong pillow.

Migraines & Headaches-Unsuitable pillows create an awkward and imbalanced vertebrae position. Your pillow should diminish any nerve inflammation and nourish the spine for the long haul.

Final Verdict

Improper pillow backing has adverse impacts on the upper spine, preventing you from dropping off to sleep smoothly. Spinal alignment plays an instrumental role on how pillows affect sleep by relaxing muscles and minimizing frictional resistance to blood circulation.

The ergonomic shape of the most excellent pillow ameliorates neck pain as it gives your upper spine stability in multiple positions. Position your pillow to touch the shoulders to support the spine and neck muscles.

The market swarms with sleep-inducing pillows to provide optimal neck and spine support, soothing your upper body and designs crafted for customized sleeping positions. Materials like down and feather with natural insulation properties also influence the level of comfort.


You can only wash down pillows in a front-loading machine as a top-loading unit causes them to float and remain dry partially. Learning the ropes on how to wash down pillows in front load washer helps eliminate a litany of contaminants-including microbial pathogens, fungal spores, pollen, pet dander and other impurities.

How To Wash Down Pillows

Front-loading machines give a spick and span cleanup while leaving your beddings fresh and odorless. Washing down filling reinvigorates original fluffiness, natural support, and velvetiness.

Unlike synthetic fills destined for the trash bin after a few washes, natural materials endure mild spruce ups, extend their lifespan and provide hygienic support. Ensure you rinse thoroughly due to down thickness and density.

Things To Consider | How To Wash Down Pillows In Front Load Washer

1. What You’ll Need To Wash

Two Pillows: Consider washing a pair of pillows to balance the load on the spin cycle.
Water Temperature: Use lukewarm water, hot liquid will cause damage to delicate feathers and shrink the fabric.
Spin Speed: Tweak to the fastest speed to evaporate as much moisture as possible.
Rinse: Add rinse cycle to flush out all the detergent.
To Non-chlorine bleach for whitening.
Check over the pillows for cracks and tears. Damaged ticking can open a new can of worms. You must mend before machine-washing.
Spot-treating stained parts on your bedding with all-natural or mild soap and warm water minimizes harsh cleanups. Use a toothbrush to slick down stains efficiently.

2. Washing in Front-Loader Steps

  1. Put the pillows into the machine. Do not immerse more than two pillows as nothing will get cleaned.
  2. Wash the pillows on a gentle or delicate cycle with warm water and add the detergent.
  3. Stay on the lookout and await the machine to fill, dispense the detergent, and toss the drum over a couple of times. Ensure the pillows get wholly saturated. When wringing wet, pause the unit and adjust a timer for 30 minutes.
  4. You can allow the machine to run independently. Run the pillows on a spin cycle to remove all the excess water.

3. Machine-Drying

Arm yourself with a pair of tennis balls enveloped in white socks to oscillate around with the pillow in the dryer and deter the explosion of sizable hunks. They also ensure filling does not bend out of shape.
Adjust the timer on your dryer on a moderate heat setting for 15 minutes, add the pair, tennis balls, and dryer sheet to prevent static and push start.
Unlike waterlogged comforters, pillows can dry out in a single cycle.
Scrutinize pillows with an eagle’s eye to ensure every corner has dried out thoroughly before encasing them in the pillowcase. Lurking moisture in the filling

4. Drying Concerns

Temperature-Avoid boiling water as it leads to shrinkage or wrinkling of fabric.
Drying duration-Wait with the patience of Job of the old, it can guzzle multiple cycles before you have them as dry as dust.
Lumps or Odor-Clumps or odor mean your pillow needs another drying cycle. You want it to stay kiln-dry, no traces of moisture to inhibit mold growth.
Dry-Test-Hand-fluff the padding before the cycles get completed. The pillows can eclipse dampness beneath the ticking. It’s safe to err by dedicating more drying time than vice versa.
In addition to tennis or dryer balls throw in a dryer sheet to make bedding as fresh as a daisy.

5. Wash Your Pillows Seasonally

Wash your pillows half-year or every three months as they tend to stockpile dirt, microbial invaders, allergens, and a litany of other impurities. Pillows collect dead skin cells, grime, and dander just like a mattress does.

Human skin sheds thousands of dead cells from the dermis every day. Your down pillow also traps perspiration, natural oils, blood stains, saliva and bodily secretions which stockpile to weigh down the filling and diminish its fluff.

Though pillowcases or protective cases catch some of the foreign particles, some micron-sized contaminants always find their way to the core. Accordingly, you’ll have to wash for a hypoallergenic surface.

6. Using Pillow Protectors to Lengthen Natural Life

Adding a pillow protector provides a buffer against unpleasant substances. It’s a prudent way to keep your bedding spotlessly clean without having to wash it frequently. Regular washing eats away natural oils that give down the ability to regain its fluffiness.

With a protector combined with the pillowcase, it reduces vulnerability to dirt and disagreeable ravages. However, a pillow protector will not feel like squishy down bedding. Remove the pillow protector weekly and wash it thoroughly for a spotlessly clean headrest.

Waterproof pillowcases prevent moisture or liquids from creeping into the pillow, degrading the fill and emitting a pungent odor. Look for breathable and soft materials for the most comfortable sleep.

7. Pillow Cleanliness Affects Sleep & Health

Failure to wash your pillows for two years adds dead skin, dust mites, bed bugs, and their dropping to the fill weight. Sleepless nights traced back to dirty pillows by housekeeping mavens open the Pandora box of allergen hypersensitivity as well as chronic diseases due to deprived sleep.
The natural resilience of high-grade down endures washing in front-loading units for a pristine, healthier head-support.
Washing down and feathers on the odd occasion keep bedding cool for a freshened and luxurious sleep ambiance.
Unclean pillows carve out a breeding ground for microbes, pathogens, and dust mites, allergens stem from the droppings of these vermin.

8. Do’s & Don’ts

  • For down and feather pillows, use only a front-loading washer as top-loading unit’s agitators in the middle destroy down
  • Avoid abrasive detergents as they strip away oils that rekindle down after flexing out of shape
  • For a subtle odor, you can add soothing essential oils such as lavender to the dryer balls
  • Do not cut corners on the drying by using high heat as this also kills down and the fill clusters together into lumps
  • More frequent machine-washing encourages lumps and eats away natural oils in down and flattens out the filling.
  • Refresh pillows while washing by leaving them out in the sun

Final Verdict

Armed with this ken on how to wash down pillows in front load washer, you can do it seldom for a hygienic sleeping environment and prolong their natural life. You can prevent dirt and foreign substances from trickling down to the filling, use pillow covers as an extra layer of protection.

You can DIY to keep them fresh and dried out to full fluffiness. Natural fill cleans more easily while mild, low-suds soaps render a spotlessly clean output.

You can also spot clean stains with a branded product to avoid many washes. Drying acts as a crucial stage, failure to purge all H2O invites mold or mildew. Wash twice each year or thrice at the maximum for neat and health-giving bedding.




Duck Feather Pillows Good or Bad


Things To Consider | Duck Feather Pillows Good or Bad

1. What are Duck Feathers?


Duck feather forms a firmer core for medium support.
Natural insulator makes them efficient air circulators in hot weather.

2. Benefits of Duck-Feather Pillows: The Good

Natural insulation and breathability prevent excessive heat retention.

3. Downsides of Duck Feathers-The Bad

Not firm for anti-snoring slumber.
Makes a crunching noise on compression as feathers have hardy parts.

4. Re-Fluffing For Durability



5. Sleeping Positions for Feather-Filled Pillows




6. Down & Feather Combination




7. Feather-Resistant Cover or Barrier Weave



8. Easy Maintenance




Final Verdict





As you turn down the sheets and tumble into bed, feather and down pillows cuddly nod you off to dreamland in a cloud-like head cradle. They’re ultra-durable, moldable and compatible with all sleeping positions. Although feather vs. down pillows manifest stark differences, their similar qualities make them two peas in the pod.

Feather Pillows vs. Down Pillows

Both generate a super-light material that insulates your body. They also act as a coolant when your surroundings warm up, making them all season. Heavier than down, feathers create a highly supportive pillow ideal for back or side sleepers.

Down spawns from the bottom, fluffy portion a bird’s feather for plush, soft and supple pillows that do the job in all sleeping positions.

Things To Consider | Feather Pillows vs. Down Pillows

1. Down vs. Feather Have Structural Differences

Down Filling

Down delicate soft feathers sprout underneath a bird’s body to conserve heat and keep it fresh when temperatures increase. Down clusters take the catbird’s seat as nature’s warmest material relative to its negligible weight.

They mimic a dandelion’s head, and mature down has almost the same size. The gorgeous loft comes from the down clusters continually reverting to their natural rounder and spherical shape.

Feather Filling

Feathers come from duck and geese and have a soft, hard spine known as a quill, with hair-like fibrils radiating from it like a sail and filament. Diverse bird species use feathers for flight, natural insulation and keeping them dry. Quills and delicate feathers cause the pillow to flatten like a pancake over time.

2. Performance in Support & Comfort

Feathers tilt the scales with more weight and thus render superior support than down solely. Down clusters cannot offer strong support due to their soft and supple build.
Premium quality feather pillows stash tiny, highly curled feathers while goose down clusters has a super-massive and fluffier structure with higher loft to last longer.
More resilient down tends to endure bed ravages for decades with proper care. Feathers’ quills wear down quickly making them less durable.
Quills thread through and escape causing feather pillows to diminish support faster than down. Top-class feather-filled rests come with a barrier weave shell to inhibit quill leakage.
Down pillows constitute of soft, more delicate plumages for a moldable in shape with more curved support for your head or neck to settle into the pillow.

3. Sleeping Positions

Feather pillows make a perfect match for back and side sleepers as they get improved malleability, to seamlessly attune and promote a neutral curvature of the neck and spine.
Down-filled pillows dovetail with all sleeping positions as due to their more moldable formation and tend to retain its shape correctly.
If you want the minimal loft in your pillow, feather-and-down filled ones tend to compress. They offer the most excellent option for sleepers angling for a lower-profile version with minimized loft.
Sleepers who have a penchant for curling up with a pillow should go for down due to its unsurpassed softness and malleability. Down pillows allow you to scrunch them up to enlarge it and infuse pretty of loft.

4. Down and Feather Mixture

Manufacturers blend down and feather to offset the downsides of both types of natural fills. Down and feather combine to render added support while inhibiting the leak out of quills. The mixture will do the job for back or side sleepers.

  1. Some pillows come with an extra cushioning, or fill, offered by outer feathers.
  2. In the US, the FTC urges manufacturers to label down beddings accurately. Any pillow provided as “down” should compose of a minimum of 75% down feathers.
  3. A higher percentage of down feathers makes products pricier.
  4. Pillows stashing down feathers below 75% sell as “feather pillows.”

5. PROs and CONs of Down Pillows

  • Easily Moldable: Highly responsive to pressure and they can attune in their shape for a more contoured backing for the head or neck
  • Superior Loft: As it’s moldable, you can scrunch it up and enlarge it for increased loft
  • Durable: Resilient, more robust and more substantial down clusters outlive their quill-encumbered counterparts
  • Lightweight: Down has a light-as-feather weightlessness
  • Quiet: Down pillows create scratching or moving sounds as you toss and turn your head
  • Expensive: Down gobbles up more dollars than feather-filled pillows. More down clusters increase Fill Power while feathers lack this quality.
  • Unpacking odor though it wanes after a few days
  • Allergenic as they age due to gradual contamination

6. PROS & CONS of Feather-Filled Pillows

  • Cheaper fill than down
  • Quality pillows with small, highly curled feathers cradle your head with softness
  • Durable than synthetic filling, lasting three years and above
  • Ultra-flexible and easy to shape for a natural contour and natural neck and head curvature
  • Lightweight and lighter than air
  • Moldable by scrunching up to reform them for their optimum loft
  • Feather quills notoriously find their way through the tightest barrier weaves
  • Surface scratches a bit noisily than down
  • Requires re-fluffing and frequently shaking to restore shape
  • Not suitable for allergy sufferers

7. Non-Washable Feather vs. Washable-Kiln-Dry Down

Most manufacturers frown on machine-washing feather pillows. Given that they naturally repel water off geese or ducks back, they get ravaged by water, heat, and chemicals. Add a pillow cover or case and send it to a professional dry cleaner well-versed with the delicate material.

Down-stashed pillows though machine-washable come with a caveat against non-thorough drying. Any traces of moisture stuck on any down clusters germinate mold or mildew in less than 24 hours ruining your investment.

When it comes to drying, stay on the lookout for dumpy spots and tumble-dry the pillow to dehumidify until it’s as dry as a bone. It takes up to 4 hours on medium heat.

8. Down and Feathers Possess Unique Structures or Morphology for Different Purposes

Both down and feathers emanate from the same bird source.
Down refers to the velvet fiber immediately covering the flesh of duck or geese in a vast constellation of filaments with a central core where they sprawl out like sun rays in all directions. It makes the material clumping-proof.
Feathers attached to the body through a shaft intersecting them at the center to create an outer layer.
Down offers superior natural insulation, managing to capture body heat while allowing air circulation.
Feathers have a firmer structure that does not flex out of shape with a super-soft and fluffy feel.

Final Verdict

Our feather pillows vs. down pillows opus dispels the myth that the two materials make a spitting image of each other. The fillings differ structurally and functionally, rendering various levels of support to cradle your head or neck.

Pillows stacked with more feathers than down clusters cost less than 100% pure down. Down remain streets ahead of the competition in the temperature department due to their superior natural insulation and air permeability. Pure down pillows have a super-soft, more delicate and luxurious cradle.

But feather pillows also feel airy, super-light and lush while it’s moldable and feels like a bed of roses if the quills never poke through. Feather pillows shore up your vertebrae naturally for a side or back posture but down offers multi-positional sleeping.